Hat-forming die.



J. S. BUCKMAN. HAT FORNHNG DIE.

APPLICATlON FILED 1ULY19|1916.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

APPLICATION flLED lUL Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l. S. BUCKMAN.

HAT FoRmiNG me. APPLICATION FILED 1ULY19.1916.

1,223,665, Patented Apr. 24,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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JOHN' S. BUCKMAN, OF ELMHURST, NEW Y0 YORK, 1\T. Y., A COPARTNERSHIP COMP() RK, ASSIGNOR TO BERG BROTHERS, OF NEW SED OF HENRY BERG AND JULIUS BERG.

HAT-FORIVIING DIE.

Application filed July 19, 1916.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN S. BUCKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmhurst, county of Queens, Long Island, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements vin Hat-Forming Dies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of dies which are used for pressing and permanently setting cloth and buckram crowns, brims and tips, which are used in making up hats. 'Ihat part which is known in the hat trade as a tip is merely' the top of the crown portion of the hat; and the crown is the tip with the sides of the crown attached. The brim, of course, .is the usual rim portion f the hat. The only difference in the dies for forming these three portions of the hat is the shape and contour thereof. The principle of this invention is the same when applied to all three forms of dies.

In operating hat-forming dies of the construction now largely and almost exclusively used, two men are required to properly place the material in the dies and to stretch it and hold. it so that the dies will smoothly shape it.

It is the main object of this invention to provide a hat-forming die which may be readily and properly operated by one person, the invention relating particularly to the means for holding and stretching the material during the pressing' operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hat-forming die in which the material to be pressed may be placed and properly held by a single operative, the die itself, during its operation, smoothly stretching the material over the shaping die so that the operative is entirely relieved of this operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the material to be4 shaped is evenly and uniformly pulled and stretched in all directions over the shaping die during the entire stretching and shaping operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a yieldingr stretcher ring or plate adapted to engage the material to be pressed, and to stretch and shape it over the shaping die during the pressing or forming operation.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a machine equipped with the im- Specication of Letters vPatent.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917. Serial No. 110,048.

proved dies, the parts being in position to receive the material to be pressed;

Fig. 2 a similar view showing the position of the parts at the completion of the shaping operation;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of the presser ring;

Fig. 4 a plan View thereof;

1Fig. 5 a side elevation of the stretcher P ate;

Fig. 6 a plan view thereof;

Fig. 7 a side elevation of the shaping or blocking die;

Fig. 8 a plan view thereof;

Fig. 9 a vertical sectional view, showing the relative positions of the blocking die, presser ring and stretcher plate during the pressing operation;

Fig. l0 a side elevation of a presser plate for forming hat brims;

Fig. 11 a similar view of the stretcher plate or ring for a brim die;

Fig. l2 a shaping or blocking die for a hat brim; and

Fig. 13 a detail vertical sectional View showing the relative positions of the blocking die, presser ring and stretcher plate or ring of the brim-forming die.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, l designates the frame of the machine, which, of course, may be of any suitable construction. In the frame is mounted a rigid table 2 on which the blocking die 3 is rigidly supported by means of screws 4. These screws are provided with thumb nuts for the ready removal of the blocking die, as is customary in machines of this kind. The blocking die is provided near its upper end with an annular horizontal shoulder 5, the shaping part 6 of the die extending u Wardly from said shoulder, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. This shaping portion of the die may be of any desired contour. As shown in the drawings, it is comparatively low and is adapted especially for the shaping of hat tips, that is to say the top of the hat crown.

By forming the die with a larger or higher shaping portion it may be adapted for pressing complete hat crowns, which would include the tip or top of the crown, and the sides thereof.

The presser ring 7 is mounted on a vertically reciprocable cross head 8, directly above the shaping or blocking die. The cross head 8 is carried by vertical reciprocating rods 9, said rods being connected to a the presser ring lower operating head 10 mounted in the frame of the machine below the dies. Connected to the operating head is a treadle mechanism 11, operated by the treadle 12 for the pressing operation, springs 13 returning the operating parts to their normal at-rest position and lifting the presser ring above and away from the blocking and shaping die.

Yieldably supported from the base of the shaping or blocking die 3 is a stretcher plate 14:, said plate being approximately on a level with the upper part of the blocking and shaping die 6, shown clearly in Fig. 1. As shown in the drawings this stretcher plate is supported by means of bolts 15 and springs 16 which surround said bolts and t between the base of the blocking die and the under surface of the stretcher plate. This plate is formed with an opening 17 which is adapted to receive the shaping portion 6 of the blocking die, so that the said stretcher plate may be forced downwardly over the shaping die below the shoulder 5, as indicated in Fig. 9 of the drawing. rIhe upper smface of the stretcher plate is formed with radial depressions 18 which are adapted to receive correspondingly placed lradial lugs 19 formed on the lower edge of the presser ring 7 It is manifest that the stretcher plate may be yieldably supported between and the blocking die` in any suitable manner, the method shown being a convenient one and operating well in the actual use of the machine.

The presser ring is heated by means of a gas burner 20; and the blocking die, which is hollow as indicated in Fig. 9, is heated by means of a gas burner 21 mounted on the supporting table 2, as indicated clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the operation of the device, after the dies have been properly heated, the goods to be shaped are placed over the stretcher plate, as indicated by the dotted line A in Fig. 1. The treadle 12 is then depressed to bring the presser ring down into engagement with the stretcher plate, the goods to be shaped being clamped between the said ring and said plate. The lugs 19 enter the recesses 18 of the stretcher plate, and serve to strongly grip the material at four points radially disposed around the center of the dies. These lugs and depressions also serve to take up, or draw in smoothly, the surplus material, as the presser ring and stretcher plate move down over the shaping die, and thereby prevent creasing or folding the material. A continued downward pressure on the treadle causes the stretcher plateto be forced downwardly against its spring lsupports, the goods sliding between the presser ring and said plate as the said two parts move downwardly, thereby smoothly stretching and shaping the material over the shaping or blocking die. `When the presser ring comes to rest on the shoulder 5 of the blocking die the treadle is locked by the spring latch 22. The dies are then left in this locked position until the goods or fabrics have been properly set. lhen the latch 22 is released the springs 13 return the parts to their normal positions to permit of the removal of the shaped tip or crown. The springs 16 serve to lift the stretcher plate 1li when said plate has been released by the upward movement of the presser ring. rlhe presser ring and the stretcher plate practically move upwardly together when the treadle 12 is released from the latch 22, and as they move up the completed tip is detached from the forming or shaping die and l lifted, so that it may be readily removed by the operative. This is a very desirable feature and materially facilitates the rapid opera-tion of the machine. By placing a lifting pressure on the shaped material uniformly at all points around the die, it is detached from the shaping die without the slightest danger of distortion. It is manifest from the foregoing that it is only necessary for the operative to place the goods on the upper surface of the stretcher plate or ring, and to exercise reasonable care in having the goods smooth when the presser ring yieldingly clamps the goods to said plate in its downward ,movement In Fig. 10 the presser ring for pressing and shaping a hat brim. In Fig. 11 the stretcher plate 14 is designed for use with the presser ring 7a. In Fig. 12 is shown a blocking or shaping die 3a adapted for use with the presser ring 7a and the stretcher plate 14a. These dies are mounted in precisely the same manner as shown in Fig. 1, and operate in the same way. In Fig. 13 the parts 7, lea and 8a are shown in the positions which they occupy when pressing and shaping a hat brim.

n What I claim is:

1. A hat-forming die comprising a blocking die, a stretcher plate having an apertu're adapted to receive the blocking die, means for normally 'holding said plate above the shaping portion of the blocking die, a presser ring supported above the blocking die and stretcher plate, and means for moving said presser ring into clamping engagement with the stretcher plate at a point above the shaping portion of the die and moving said ring and plate in clamped relation downwardly over the blocking die.

2. A hat-forming die comprising a 4rigidly mounted shaping or blocking die, a stretcher plate formed with an aperture adapted to receive the blocking die, means for yieldably mounting the stretcher plate on the base of the blocking die whereby said plate will be normally held at the top of the blocking die,

7a is designed a presser ring above the stretcher plate, means for vertically reciprocating the presser ring, radially extending lugs formed in the bottom of the presser ring and adapted to engage correspondingly placed and radially extending grooves in the upper surface of the stretcher plate.

3. A hat formino die comprising a rigidly mounted blocking die, a vertically reciprocable presser ring, a yieldable stretcher plate supported between the blocking die and the presser ring, means for reciprocating the presser ring, and radially extending ribs formed on the presser ring adapted to engage in radially extending recesses in the stretcher plate.

4. A hat-forming die comprising a rig- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the idly mounted blocking die, a stretcher plate formed with an aperture adapted to receive the blocking die7 means for yieldably mounting the stretcher plate on the base of the blocking die to normally hold said plate at the top of the blocking die7 a vertically reciproeable presser ring supported above the stretcher plate, and means for reciprocating said presser ring to bring it into engagement with the blocking die and force the stretcher plate downwardly over the blocking die.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my signature.

JOHN S. BUCKMAN.

"Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

